Just four more Carquieranne market days before we leave! It's such a pleasure to shop this way. The market gets larger as the season goes on....great to see all the old regulars and some new ones. This last time there was a fellow with kittens and puppies...big sign ANIMALS NOT FOR SALE but he was selling some key chains and stuff and getting a big crowd petting the animals. I took the picture I had taken of the fellow who sold us the rabbit and he and his wife were thrilled to get it and the message Don had written.
Looking at another picture we took our last night in Paris at a restaurant in Ile St. Louis. It's a good one of the four of us and also an Australian couple who got talking to us and jumped into the picture just like that's of course what anyone would do! It was their 29th anniversary. We're looking forward to celebrating our 3th anniversary here with dinner at this great local restaurant called Les Pins Penches (bent pines).
Jim's talk on Huxley's Love Letters went really well and we were very pleasantly surprised to be give a 60 Euro gift certificate for a book/Cd store...will be fun to pick stuff out.
Red poppies are blooming everywhere...have to include them in some painting.
Books I've been reading:
Deception Point by Dan Brown...as usual a great plot...he really does capture your interest. Kind of neat to see the Louvre after reading his Da Vinci Code.
Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Takes place on the French Riviera and they spent quite a bit of time here. Seemed familiar and must have read it in university a million years ago. Didn't finish it...seemed dated and overwritten although some amazingly good poetic passages in amongst the dross...no Great Gatsby.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley...you may be amazed I hadnt read it before! Great stuff and very funny and so timely...hard to believe it was written in 1932. Jim is loving teaching it here.
Something in Disguise by Elizabeth Jane Howard. One of my Christmas books...very amusing...interesting writer...I'll have to find more of her word. Married to Kingsley Amis apparently.
Friday, April 29, 2005
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Bee loud glade
We returned from Paris and Brussels to the wisteria in our arbour in absolute full bloom, smelling heavenly, and also humming with hundreds of bees! Blossoms a bit of a mess for the pool but it is lovely. Our landlord did a major gardening job when we were away and now the pool is getting quite a bit of direct sun. it's gone up from 59 to 66 degrees so perhaps we'll get some swimming yet.
It was interesting being a tourist in Paris again....crowds unreal even in April...can't imagine what it's like in the summer now. Since we've seen everything we usually just wander and discover new areas to explore and of course go through and around Notre Dame numerous times and possibly head into Sainte Chappelle if the light is right. It was fun to go to the Louvre again and the Mona Lisa is a much better experience in its new room. I think they need to do something with the Venus de Milo like they've done for David in Florence...make a big space for it and keep people a distance...impossible to enjoy it now...glad I saw it without the hordes.
We had wonderfully sunny weather our last two days in Brussels and happened on some very old and famous brasseries which was really fun. What a pleasure to go into the Beaux Arts Musee and find NO CROWDS, NO LINEUPS... we knew the Breughels were there....fantastic... but got a real bonus with the Magritte and many amazing Reubens....
It was interesting being a tourist in Paris again....crowds unreal even in April...can't imagine what it's like in the summer now. Since we've seen everything we usually just wander and discover new areas to explore and of course go through and around Notre Dame numerous times and possibly head into Sainte Chappelle if the light is right. It was fun to go to the Louvre again and the Mona Lisa is a much better experience in its new room. I think they need to do something with the Venus de Milo like they've done for David in Florence...make a big space for it and keep people a distance...impossible to enjoy it now...glad I saw it without the hordes.
We had wonderfully sunny weather our last two days in Brussels and happened on some very old and famous brasseries which was really fun. What a pleasure to go into the Beaux Arts Musee and find NO CROWDS, NO LINEUPS... we knew the Breughels were there....fantastic... but got a real bonus with the Magritte and many amazing Reubens....
Identifying Pictures
It's difficult to label these pictures now that they're posted so I'll try to go in order starting with the one directly below...I also can't see them now so they may get out of order...
* Carasol in Sanary 'le petit prince airplane'...we all commented on how charming these carasols are and how plentiful
* Jim, Alan, and Susan...Carqueiranne beach
* Fish market, Sanary
* enjoying a meal in our back garden
* Hotel Splendid- balcony of our favourite room overlooking....
* our favourite beach
* 17th century country home/vinyard of our landlords
* Painting Francoise did of the home
* Sea urchin festival
* landlord's vinyard
* sea urchin fishermen preparing their wares
* campanile in Cuers
* my favourite dog in Carqueiranne market
* painting of Carqueiranne market
* painting of a wall mural
* Robin the cat neighbourhood cat leaving disdainfully
* Carasol in Sanary 'le petit prince airplane'...we all commented on how charming these carasols are and how plentiful
* Jim, Alan, and Susan...Carqueiranne beach
* Fish market, Sanary
* enjoying a meal in our back garden
* Hotel Splendid- balcony of our favourite room overlooking....
* our favourite beach
* 17th century country home/vinyard of our landlords
* Painting Francoise did of the home
* Sea urchin festival
* landlord's vinyard
* sea urchin fishermen preparing their wares
* campanile in Cuers
* my favourite dog in Carqueiranne market
* painting of Carqueiranne market
* painting of a wall mural
* Robin the cat neighbourhood cat leaving disdainfully
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Brussels
I see Richard got some pictures up. I'll explain what they are when I get back to Carqueiranne. this will be a brief update with more details to come. We all had a super time in Paris and the Don and Elaine loved the city and all the things we did. Well....who can't fall in love with Paris? Jim found more reseach related stuff than he was counting on...same thing in Brussels so he's very pleased. I didn't quite know what to expect of Brussels but it's really quite neat. We're located in the 'lower town' where all the action is and close to the 'Grand Place' which is a fabulous square with wonderful architecture (guildhalls; city hall etc
I didn realize Belgium makes over 500 beers....we are enjoying various brews and neat old bars and cafes. The first night we ended up in a seafood restaurant area and had a wonderful lobster dinner...later found out the lobster was from Canada....can't find the exclamation mark...;yet another keyboard.
I didn realize Belgium makes over 500 beers....we are enjoying various brews and neat old bars and cafes. The first night we ended up in a seafood restaurant area and had a wonderful lobster dinner...later found out the lobster was from Canada....can't find the exclamation mark...;yet another keyboard.
Friday, April 15, 2005
Mission Accomplished!
We took the train into Marseille Wednesday and found the Maison du Pastis. It was quite something and the fellow spoke English which was great for Don and Elaine and he was very knowledgable about pastis and all the specialty ones. It's really almost like single malts when you get to the specialty ones. We bought some neat glasses and of course some very special pastis which we've been enjoying tremendously especially since we'll never be able to get them in Canada.
We had a bouillbaise at a very highly recommended place but were rather disappointed. You can't go to Marseille without having a bouillbaise but we all agreed it is a rather bland dish with all white fish (albeit many different types) and can't compare with local Victoria creations for taste even though they aren(t so called authentic. Took the petit train around the old town and that was neat as we hadn't done that before. Lots of excitement in Marseille as there was a huge demonstration by fishermen protesting increase in the price of diesel fuel...they blocked the port and the street were choked with people and police. We were quite thrilled to have the old regional train that we took over 30 years ago when we started going to Bandol. Great nostalgia but the pleasure was somewhat diminished when the one on the way back broke down and we had to change trains and just luckily heard that it wasn't going to stop at Hyeres so had to get off at a little station and get another one. No English of course so any tourists would have ended up in Nice!
We did get to Cassis yesterday and the weather cooperated. It really is such a super place and the entry through all the vinyards is so neat. Don and Elaine loved the narrow buildings with all the different colours and we had a rather choppy (good thing they've dived and are used to motion on the water) ride on our trip to the calenques (high cliffs and inlets that are famous in the area). We started off the day going to the market in Carquieranne which was also quite a thrill for them and Don found s vendor with a roast rabbit so we bought that. He spoke some Enlgish and he was quite a card joking about it being 'cat with blue eyes'...those of you who know Don know how much he would have enjoyed that! It was fabulous and all the innerds including the head were there so Don was in heaven.
We had a bouillbaise at a very highly recommended place but were rather disappointed. You can't go to Marseille without having a bouillbaise but we all agreed it is a rather bland dish with all white fish (albeit many different types) and can't compare with local Victoria creations for taste even though they aren(t so called authentic. Took the petit train around the old town and that was neat as we hadn't done that before. Lots of excitement in Marseille as there was a huge demonstration by fishermen protesting increase in the price of diesel fuel...they blocked the port and the street were choked with people and police. We were quite thrilled to have the old regional train that we took over 30 years ago when we started going to Bandol. Great nostalgia but the pleasure was somewhat diminished when the one on the way back broke down and we had to change trains and just luckily heard that it wasn't going to stop at Hyeres so had to get off at a little station and get another one. No English of course so any tourists would have ended up in Nice!
We did get to Cassis yesterday and the weather cooperated. It really is such a super place and the entry through all the vinyards is so neat. Don and Elaine loved the narrow buildings with all the different colours and we had a rather choppy (good thing they've dived and are used to motion on the water) ride on our trip to the calenques (high cliffs and inlets that are famous in the area). We started off the day going to the market in Carquieranne which was also quite a thrill for them and Don found s vendor with a roast rabbit so we bought that. He spoke some Enlgish and he was quite a card joking about it being 'cat with blue eyes'...those of you who know Don know how much he would have enjoyed that! It was fabulous and all the innerds including the head were there so Don was in heaven.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Gambas Provencale
We're having a super time with the Curlings...more converts to France and this very special village and way of life. They finally saw Bandol, ate some magnificent Gambas with the rose de Bandol...things they've been hearing about for years...no disappointments! After 10 straight days of warm sun the weather turned rather poor just as our guests arrived but things are brightening up and we hope we'll get a fabulous day to go to Cassis on Thursday. Today we're heading to Le Lavandou for lunch and taking the train to Marseilles tomorrow to visit this famous Maison du Pastis and have a bouillbaise in the Vieux Port. Then off to Paris and Brussels for a week this Saturday...we're all really looking forward to that.
Saturday, April 02, 2005
Wine, fish, and classical music
Jean-George and Christienne invited us as their guests to a super concert in Toulon with a Russian pianist playing Tchaikovsky's Concerto number 1 and also Symphony 6 on the program. An excellent evening and topped off with a Champagne reception afterwards. Sunday, Patrick has invited us to another classical music concert in Cassis at the Camargo Foundation. This foundation supplies accommodation for visiting scholars and Jim has been looking forward to seeing their premises. It will also be interesting to meet some of the scholars currently there.
We had a super lunch in the heart of the old town of Hyeres hessterday...'marmite au pecheur'...fish soup with sal,on, rascasse, rouget, mussels, and shrimp. We haven't been into the old town of Hyeres that much this time...it really is very charming and interesting...lots of little food shops and shops of every kind.
Really looking forward to the arrival of Don and Elaine next Friday...won't be long now!
We had a super lunch in the heart of the old town of Hyeres hessterday...'marmite au pecheur'...fish soup with sal,on, rascasse, rouget, mussels, and shrimp. We haven't been into the old town of Hyeres that much this time...it really is very charming and interesting...lots of little food shops and shops of every kind.
Really looking forward to the arrival of Don and Elaine next Friday...won't be long now!
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
The sun once again!
Our good weather seems to have returned except for some morning mist. We had a nice lunch outside by the pool and the thermometer was reading 30 degrees. Even though the weather didn't completely cooperate I think we have made converts of Susan and Alan for the way of life in France and they will be back. It really is such a good value too compared to the prices in the U.K.
We were very pleased to buy a wonderful coffee table book on Carquieranne that had been recently published. It has amazing pictures and text and everything about it is extremely well done. Rather surprising that a small village would produce such a book. Obviously a labour of love for the many people involved and will make a super memento of our time here. They describe the numerous winds here in great detail...lots of names for the various winds...rather like the Inuit and all their names for snow.
I went to buy a package of Gaullois cigarettes the other day so we would have some ammunition when people light up beside us. We do rather like the smell of Gaullois but not these other horrible American cigarettes that everyone smokes now. I was amazed to see a number of different types of Gaullois in fancy American packaging. When I asked the difference I was told they were 'light', 'extra light', extra,extra light' etc. The old vets would be turning in their graves! When I asked if you could get the original Gaullois, the clerk warned me that it was 'brown tobacco' and produced the package from under the counter...i felt like I was buying illegal drugs.
We were very pleased to buy a wonderful coffee table book on Carquieranne that had been recently published. It has amazing pictures and text and everything about it is extremely well done. Rather surprising that a small village would produce such a book. Obviously a labour of love for the many people involved and will make a super memento of our time here. They describe the numerous winds here in great detail...lots of names for the various winds...rather like the Inuit and all their names for snow.
I went to buy a package of Gaullois cigarettes the other day so we would have some ammunition when people light up beside us. We do rather like the smell of Gaullois but not these other horrible American cigarettes that everyone smokes now. I was amazed to see a number of different types of Gaullois in fancy American packaging. When I asked the difference I was told they were 'light', 'extra light', extra,extra light' etc. The old vets would be turning in their graves! When I asked if you could get the original Gaullois, the clerk warned me that it was 'brown tobacco' and produced the package from under the counter...i felt like I was buying illegal drugs.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Chèrs Amis,
Richard called today to give us the news that my mother has died. We were prepared as she recently fell and broke her femur and was making a poor recovery from the operation. My Mom was 91 years old and while physicically very disabled for many years, she was bright and alert until her fall. Her positive spirit and attitude were admirable.
She did not want a service and all arrangements had been previously made so we will not be returning from France. We had discussed this eventuality with our son, Richard, and he will be dealing with what needs to be done with the help of my cousin, John.
Richard has been wonderful throughout this difficult time. He was with his grandmother during her last few days and told her all the things I would have wanted to say. It meant a tremendous amount to me that he was there even though my mother never really regained consciousness.
Our very good friends, Susan and Alan from Yorkshire, are visiting this week and it has been a great comfort to have them here.
My parents had many happy years on Gabriola Island enjoying their waterfront home. Being in this little village on the Mediterranean makes me feel very close to them.
The other day we saw a retired couple painting a railing together and they greeted us with the usual 'Bonjour messieurs, mesdames'...a very charming custom. They were obviously very happy and enjoying being together doing a simple task around the house. It reminded me of the pleasure my parents had doing similar things together and helped to make me feel at peace.
Richard called today to give us the news that my mother has died. We were prepared as she recently fell and broke her femur and was making a poor recovery from the operation. My Mom was 91 years old and while physicically very disabled for many years, she was bright and alert until her fall. Her positive spirit and attitude were admirable.
She did not want a service and all arrangements had been previously made so we will not be returning from France. We had discussed this eventuality with our son, Richard, and he will be dealing with what needs to be done with the help of my cousin, John.
Richard has been wonderful throughout this difficult time. He was with his grandmother during her last few days and told her all the things I would have wanted to say. It meant a tremendous amount to me that he was there even though my mother never really regained consciousness.
Our very good friends, Susan and Alan from Yorkshire, are visiting this week and it has been a great comfort to have them here.
My parents had many happy years on Gabriola Island enjoying their waterfront home. Being in this little village on the Mediterranean makes me feel very close to them.
The other day we saw a retired couple painting a railing together and they greeted us with the usual 'Bonjour messieurs, mesdames'...a very charming custom. They were obviously very happy and enjoying being together doing a simple task around the house. It reminded me of the pleasure my parents had doing similar things together and helped to make me feel at peace.
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Paintings from the West Coast
I was very excited to get my cousin John's 'postcard' which was actually an attachment...I love it and think he should do more...painting sound like a good thing for retired photographers. Also today in my real mailbox were four postcards of wonderful watercolours that Fern did...wow, Fern, I was really impressed. Keep up doing your painting. Would you mind scanning them and emailing them to Richard then he could post them (rsexton@sfu.ca)? I don't want to give them up!
Will be starting my seventh painting today and will post off more pictures to Richard soon. Not much time today to post.
Come on you guys...let's get those paintings going.
Will be starting my seventh painting today and will post off more pictures to Richard soon. Not much time today to post.
Come on you guys...let's get those paintings going.
Friday, March 18, 2005
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
The eccentricities of French cats
We are wondering if we can entice our French cat to eat...so far he has turned up his nose at chicken, cheese, smoked salmon, pate, tuna...cat treats I bought specially. He always comes quickly with great anticipation but turns his nose up and looks quite disdainfully at us. Obviously we just don't get it. Perhaps a smelly old fish head would do the trick. He spends a lot of time in our yard looking for birds and also drinking from the pool in a very precarious looking manner but I guess he knows best.
It's really warming up now and we lunched outside both days of the weekend and also lay out on our loungers by the pool. On Sat we went to Le Lavandou and had a wonderful meal of 'rougets' marinated like a ceviche (never had raw rouget before...great taste) then 'rascasse meuniere' with tartiflette and ratatouille. Both fish are local from the Med...rascasse is the very famous fish in bouillbaise here. Had a very nice Muscadet then finished with some red with a cheese plate.
Sunday we went to the Sea Urchin festival but obviously people have it all sussed out and come early with their wine and other picnic things. Tremendous number of people and loads of tables (all full when we arrived)and even with 3500 doz sea urchins they were beginning to run out and long lineups. It was really fun to see but we decamped to a beach restaurant and had moules/frites. We'll be taking Susan and Alan to Cassis next week and we'll get our sea urchin fix there. We're really looking forward to their visit! I have asked them to bring some good cheddar and tea...even with all the wonderful cheese here I miss my cheddar.
Trying all sorts of different olives, tapanades, and dry saucage they have on offer at the market. Today for lunch we'll have it outside by the pool and have a special fish soup from Carquieranne with rouille on toasts.
We had Francoise and Jean Pascale for (the people who own our villa) for a drink Sunday and they have invited us to their place in the country with a hobby vinyard next Sat. We're really looking forward to seeing their place and the area.
Finished my fifth painting...of Carquiranne market...I was quite pleased with it and managed to get in all my favourite things.
Cell phone battery went weird yesterday so that was some incredible hassle but fixed now for the moment...the height of frustration trying to deal with technical things in French.
Getting some great buys on wine at the Carrefour in the Grand Var (huge shoppping centre)
It's really warming up now and we lunched outside both days of the weekend and also lay out on our loungers by the pool. On Sat we went to Le Lavandou and had a wonderful meal of 'rougets' marinated like a ceviche (never had raw rouget before...great taste) then 'rascasse meuniere' with tartiflette and ratatouille. Both fish are local from the Med...rascasse is the very famous fish in bouillbaise here. Had a very nice Muscadet then finished with some red with a cheese plate.
Sunday we went to the Sea Urchin festival but obviously people have it all sussed out and come early with their wine and other picnic things. Tremendous number of people and loads of tables (all full when we arrived)and even with 3500 doz sea urchins they were beginning to run out and long lineups. It was really fun to see but we decamped to a beach restaurant and had moules/frites. We'll be taking Susan and Alan to Cassis next week and we'll get our sea urchin fix there. We're really looking forward to their visit! I have asked them to bring some good cheddar and tea...even with all the wonderful cheese here I miss my cheddar.
Trying all sorts of different olives, tapanades, and dry saucage they have on offer at the market. Today for lunch we'll have it outside by the pool and have a special fish soup from Carquieranne with rouille on toasts.
We had Francoise and Jean Pascale for (the people who own our villa) for a drink Sunday and they have invited us to their place in the country with a hobby vinyard next Sat. We're really looking forward to seeing their place and the area.
Finished my fifth painting...of Carquiranne market...I was quite pleased with it and managed to get in all my favourite things.
Cell phone battery went weird yesterday so that was some incredible hassle but fixed now for the moment...the height of frustration trying to deal with technical things in French.
Getting some great buys on wine at the Carrefour in the Grand Var (huge shoppping centre)
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
These wonderful umbrella pine trees
I did my third painting yesterday with the main focus umbrella pines and mimosa and some palms. I'm in a little library in a small village close to us called Le Pradet. They newly have installed an Internet connection and the Mayor has made it free for everyone for the first year. And you can book two hours so it's great. I'm looking out over some magnificent pines as the local church bell is tolling one bell. It must be the end of the funeral I noticed about to start when I arrived. Lots of young people in the village square in front of the church waiting and most crying. Very sad.
I'm so glad we managed to get a place to live in this wonderful little village. It's such a pleasure to shop everyday for food but especially market day...people greeting each other and you can sense the absolute pleasure they have in buying these wonderful products that they are soon going to enjoy t the ultimate in an hour or two.This kind of food shopping is not a chore for anyone and what things cost seems irrelevant.
Big lineups at the old and tre vendors, but there are always a few new ones trying to break in. it ws interesting watching a new fellow trying to gain custom and doing all the wrong things. He started serving various people at once (not done!), gave an extra saucage to someone (good thing!) but then took a gram of potatoes away when he was weighing to get it exact (bad thing....the couple were incredulous!)
The opposite of this local shopping experience is in the Grand Var...absolute megastores...interesting in it's own way. We're going to do a big shop there this afternoon and looking forward to it. Some of the staff are on roller skates!
I may have managed to get one picture posted...very frustrating at the airport as the connection was intermittant. I've mailed some pix to Richard and will ask him to post them.
We have survived the first three weeks. Even though this is the third time we've done this and have travelled a lot in Europe, the first while is a continuous assault on nez information to process...just opening a door can be a problem because everything is so different. Or putting in a plug. Jim managed to shut down the electricity of a whole floor at the university plugging in an overhead projector. He's wary of plugging in anything now and has the students do it!
We went into Toulon Friday and managed not to get lost. Toulon does have its raffish charm and we sat outside in the sun for quite a while. We were invited to a wine and cheese put on by the Anglo_French society here. Jim has agreed to give a talk in April on Huxley's love letters so it zas nie to see what his audience will be. We though it might be rather like the Allance Francaise in Victoria where many of the members are either snob or gaga. We were very pleasantly surpised to find them a very active, lively, interesting, and welcoming group.
The meetings are held in a veteren's place with grenades for door handles!
Don, I see that pastis place has a website
www.lamaisondupastis.com
I'm so glad we managed to get a place to live in this wonderful little village. It's such a pleasure to shop everyday for food but especially market day...people greeting each other and you can sense the absolute pleasure they have in buying these wonderful products that they are soon going to enjoy t the ultimate in an hour or two.This kind of food shopping is not a chore for anyone and what things cost seems irrelevant.
Big lineups at the old and tre vendors, but there are always a few new ones trying to break in. it ws interesting watching a new fellow trying to gain custom and doing all the wrong things. He started serving various people at once (not done!), gave an extra saucage to someone (good thing!) but then took a gram of potatoes away when he was weighing to get it exact (bad thing....the couple were incredulous!)
The opposite of this local shopping experience is in the Grand Var...absolute megastores...interesting in it's own way. We're going to do a big shop there this afternoon and looking forward to it. Some of the staff are on roller skates!
I may have managed to get one picture posted...very frustrating at the airport as the connection was intermittant. I've mailed some pix to Richard and will ask him to post them.
We have survived the first three weeks. Even though this is the third time we've done this and have travelled a lot in Europe, the first while is a continuous assault on nez information to process...just opening a door can be a problem because everything is so different. Or putting in a plug. Jim managed to shut down the electricity of a whole floor at the university plugging in an overhead projector. He's wary of plugging in anything now and has the students do it!
We went into Toulon Friday and managed not to get lost. Toulon does have its raffish charm and we sat outside in the sun for quite a while. We were invited to a wine and cheese put on by the Anglo_French society here. Jim has agreed to give a talk in April on Huxley's love letters so it zas nie to see what his audience will be. We though it might be rather like the Allance Francaise in Victoria where many of the members are either snob or gaga. We were very pleasantly surpised to find them a very active, lively, interesting, and welcoming group.
The meetings are held in a veteren's place with grenades for door handles!
Don, I see that pastis place has a website
www.lamaisondupastis.com
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Snow in Carquieranne!
Everyone here was very excited about having anbout an inch of snow here...university students asked to be let out of their classes so they could touch the snow! The sun does continue to shine most of the time and we are very cozy with our fireplace burning our grape vines and olive branches.
Have done two paintings No hesitation about what to paint first...it had to be this wonderful villa we're in. I've painted it with the shutters open and seeing into the interior. An orange cat is in the top window (neighbourhood cat who visits), in the living room the chairs we pull over to the window to sit in the sun having our drinks...like a sunroom. You can also see a Matisse print that's on the wall and that we enjoy a lot. In the dining room my travelling easel (thanks to Fern's mother)...this is where I paint...by the window basking in this wonderfull provencale sun.
I have included the pool and the arbour in bloom and the ocean with the sailboats I painted as my first painting the last time we were here. And of course the second painting had to be these wonderful mimosas that are everywhere in bloom here at tis time of year.
I have collected 5 different pastis that we can't get in Canada but it seems I have a long way to go. I read about a place in Marseille that is dedicated to pastis and absinthe and related products. They have 70 brands including 3 of their ozn on tap. You can taste and eat tapas. Don, do you think we should go there when you come?
Have done two paintings No hesitation about what to paint first...it had to be this wonderful villa we're in. I've painted it with the shutters open and seeing into the interior. An orange cat is in the top window (neighbourhood cat who visits), in the living room the chairs we pull over to the window to sit in the sun having our drinks...like a sunroom. You can also see a Matisse print that's on the wall and that we enjoy a lot. In the dining room my travelling easel (thanks to Fern's mother)...this is where I paint...by the window basking in this wonderfull provencale sun.
I have included the pool and the arbour in bloom and the ocean with the sailboats I painted as my first painting the last time we were here. And of course the second painting had to be these wonderful mimosas that are everywhere in bloom here at tis time of year.
I have collected 5 different pastis that we can't get in Canada but it seems I have a long way to go. I read about a place in Marseille that is dedicated to pastis and absinthe and related products. They have 70 brands including 3 of their ozn on tap. You can taste and eat tapas. Don, do you think we should go there when you come?
Friday, February 25, 2005
No email today!
Shaw seems to be down for webmail...what a pain when I don't have access at home!
Continues to be cool and sunny here. We've been using the fireplace and the olive wood burns so well...like coal really. They have a big brick bar b q outside so it will be great fuel for that. So much sun comes in during the day you rarely need heat. Very well designed because they have an arbour all along these windows so when that blooms there will be welcome shade. It great to use natural ways of controlling temp even though I would never give up the possibility of AC.
The house of our friends in Mexico was also very well designed for the continuous heat they get...around an indoor courtyard with no external windows and designed so cooling drafts prevailed throughout.
We walked down to the port yesterday...just 5 min from our house. Village even closer. Market day yesterday and the fellow I buy these wonderful roasted chickens from with all this garlic and herbes de provence in recognized me. I am a faithful customer when I'm here. Just wandered mainly this time...so much for the eye...will get into serious buying next Thurs morning.
We also joined the Carqueiranne library again...they are automated now but glad we experience the old system...very quaint. Got some mags on Provence and some CD's.
They're getting DVD's next week but seems like it's too much of a hassle to change our system. We' ve been enjoying Season 1 of '24' that we brought. Richard also lent us a number of movies so that should keep us going.
Will see if I can access this wretched email. I must learn how to get on Camosun so I have a back up. Jim's getting our train tickets for Paris and Brussels at the moment so ot here. Fot people emailing, a good idea is to email both of us because I often don't have access...Jim's is 'sexton@camosun.bc.ca'
Continues to be cool and sunny here. We've been using the fireplace and the olive wood burns so well...like coal really. They have a big brick bar b q outside so it will be great fuel for that. So much sun comes in during the day you rarely need heat. Very well designed because they have an arbour all along these windows so when that blooms there will be welcome shade. It great to use natural ways of controlling temp even though I would never give up the possibility of AC.
The house of our friends in Mexico was also very well designed for the continuous heat they get...around an indoor courtyard with no external windows and designed so cooling drafts prevailed throughout.
We walked down to the port yesterday...just 5 min from our house. Village even closer. Market day yesterday and the fellow I buy these wonderful roasted chickens from with all this garlic and herbes de provence in recognized me. I am a faithful customer when I'm here. Just wandered mainly this time...so much for the eye...will get into serious buying next Thurs morning.
We also joined the Carqueiranne library again...they are automated now but glad we experience the old system...very quaint. Got some mags on Provence and some CD's.
They're getting DVD's next week but seems like it's too much of a hassle to change our system. We' ve been enjoying Season 1 of '24' that we brought. Richard also lent us a number of movies so that should keep us going.
Will see if I can access this wretched email. I must learn how to get on Camosun so I have a back up. Jim's getting our train tickets for Paris and Brussels at the moment so ot here. Fot people emailing, a good idea is to email both of us because I often don't have access...Jim's is 'sexton@camosun.bc.ca'
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Photos may be coming
It seems the airport has wireless although no one in this Internet place seems to know anything about it. Will check and see if we can do it...feels a bit like being in darkest Africa here in regards to the Internet.
Whazzat...snow in Nice...
Yes, apparently snow in Nice. A colleague of Jim's had a lot of problems getting to work as he lives high on a hill in Nice. Continues to be cool but no snow in Carqueiranne and we get such wonderful sun during the day we don't even need the heat.
In 2002 I wrote about arriving in Nice via plane (rather than train) for the first time...always so wonderful to fly in over that blue blue blue of the Med but I mentioned it wasn't quite like spending a sleepless night in a cheap couchette fro, Paris then stumbling out bleary eyed to the wonderful blue of the sea and sky, palms, terracotta roofs; pink houses etc
I just read a description Slyvia Plath wrote on her first experience of the south of France arriving by train when she was 23 yrs old...wouldn't it be wonderful to write like this?
' Then, lifting my head sleepily once; suddenly the moon sining incredibly on water. Marseilles. The Mediterranean. At last; unbelievable, the moon on that sea, that azure sea I dreamed about on maps in sixth grade.
The Med..Sleep again, and at last the pink vin rose light of dawn along the back of the hills in that strange country/ Red earth, orange tiled villas in yelloz and peach and aqua, and the blast, the blue blast of the sea on the right. The Cote d'Azure. A new country; a nez year: spiked zith a green explosion of palms; cacti sprouting vegetable octopuses with spiky tentacles, and the red sun rising like the eye of God out of a screaming blue sea'
Ahh yes...exactly like that...thank you Slyvia!
In 2002 I wrote about arriving in Nice via plane (rather than train) for the first time...always so wonderful to fly in over that blue blue blue of the Med but I mentioned it wasn't quite like spending a sleepless night in a cheap couchette fro, Paris then stumbling out bleary eyed to the wonderful blue of the sea and sky, palms, terracotta roofs; pink houses etc
I just read a description Slyvia Plath wrote on her first experience of the south of France arriving by train when she was 23 yrs old...wouldn't it be wonderful to write like this?
' Then, lifting my head sleepily once; suddenly the moon sining incredibly on water. Marseilles. The Mediterranean. At last; unbelievable, the moon on that sea, that azure sea I dreamed about on maps in sixth grade.
The Med..Sleep again, and at last the pink vin rose light of dawn along the back of the hills in that strange country/ Red earth, orange tiled villas in yelloz and peach and aqua, and the blast, the blue blast of the sea on the right. The Cote d'Azure. A new country; a nez year: spiked zith a green explosion of palms; cacti sprouting vegetable octopuses with spiky tentacles, and the red sun rising like the eye of God out of a screaming blue sea'
Ahh yes...exactly like that...thank you Slyvia!
Monday, February 21, 2005
To everyone who reads this blog....
Remember how much fun we had painting the ocean in my basement!
I have another idea...
As much as I love the south of France I get homesick for my beloved West Coast so I want you to draw, paint, etc something to remind me of home on a 4 x 6 piece of paper and send it as a postcard or some other format if you like. It can be stick figures...NO ONE gets off!
I will be looking in my mailbox with great anticipation...
P.S.
Wireless seems a strange idea in France so so far I can't post my photos but I'm working on it.
I have another idea...
As much as I love the south of France I get homesick for my beloved West Coast so I want you to draw, paint, etc something to remind me of home on a 4 x 6 piece of paper and send it as a postcard or some other format if you like. It can be stick figures...NO ONE gets off!
I will be looking in my mailbox with great anticipation...
P.S.
Wireless seems a strange idea in France so so far I can't post my photos but I'm working on it.
Finalement en contact!
Bonjour de la France!
Spelling may be odd as Fr keyboard very different....takes a while to get used to it.
We've ended up in a fabulous villa in Carqueiranne and are not missing our little apartment in the port at all even though we don't have a view. We do have a huge place with four bedrooms up, gigantic bathroom with soaker tub for two, place for candles, wine, etc and big walk in shower...all very unusual in our experience in France. Separate kitchen, big living room with fireplace and supply of olive wood, dining room....all on a protected southern exposure and glass doors everywhere...fabulous sun all day.
We look out on a large private garden with a private pool, palm trees, orange tree, olive tree, mimosa and loads of other bushes and plants...will be interesting to see what blooms. Our landlords lived here with their two children but now have a hobby vinyard and continue to teach full time. They left us a bottle of rose and red...rose very special...tastes very much of the earth (they sell their grapes to a coop that makes a cotes de Provence appellation controle)
It's just great being back in this lovely little village and just about the first thing we did was have a huge bucket of mussels and frites sitting outside in a restaurant on the port. Have been having wonderful cheeses, wines, various pastis you can't get in Victoria (we're making a collecttion for you to taste, Don)
Went to a flea market yesterday and bought boules so we can play petanque. Also got some more pastis paraphenalia
We have a cellphone so please call (remember we're 8 hours ahead)
001 33 663 434 810
Address is c\o
Pratch
4 les Mas d'Audrey
83320 Carqueiranne
France
I would love to get some mail!
Spelling may be odd as Fr keyboard very different....takes a while to get used to it.
We've ended up in a fabulous villa in Carqueiranne and are not missing our little apartment in the port at all even though we don't have a view. We do have a huge place with four bedrooms up, gigantic bathroom with soaker tub for two, place for candles, wine, etc and big walk in shower...all very unusual in our experience in France. Separate kitchen, big living room with fireplace and supply of olive wood, dining room....all on a protected southern exposure and glass doors everywhere...fabulous sun all day.
We look out on a large private garden with a private pool, palm trees, orange tree, olive tree, mimosa and loads of other bushes and plants...will be interesting to see what blooms. Our landlords lived here with their two children but now have a hobby vinyard and continue to teach full time. They left us a bottle of rose and red...rose very special...tastes very much of the earth (they sell their grapes to a coop that makes a cotes de Provence appellation controle)
It's just great being back in this lovely little village and just about the first thing we did was have a huge bucket of mussels and frites sitting outside in a restaurant on the port. Have been having wonderful cheeses, wines, various pastis you can't get in Victoria (we're making a collecttion for you to taste, Don)
Went to a flea market yesterday and bought boules so we can play petanque. Also got some more pastis paraphenalia
We have a cellphone so please call (remember we're 8 hours ahead)
001 33 663 434 810
Address is c\o
Pratch
4 les Mas d'Audrey
83320 Carqueiranne
France
I would love to get some mail!
Sunday, February 13, 2005
One last thing...
It really helps if people send me an email after tomorrow because it makes it so much easier for me using webmail and that crazy French keyboard if I just have to "reply" rather than "compose". Thanks!
Next stop Nice
This will be my last post until we get sorted out with everything in France and get access to wireless or an Internet cafe.
Looks like it's going to be a great day for flying tomorrow. I do love the trip from Frankfurt...mountains all the way then into Nice's airport which is right on the Mediterranean and we can pretty much count on the weather being sunny and warm.
The first time we did this we arrived around Jan 25 and it was so warm we felt like looking for our shorts and go walking but instead decided to crack open a bottle of rosé wine from the mini bar and watch the sun go down from our balcony overlooking the Promenade des Anglais.
This is a picture I took the next morning from the balcony as the sun was rising...jet lag makes you want to get up real early....
From the Hotel Suisse brochure...Don and Elaine...I'm sure you're going to love it there...great location.
Thanks Annette and Larry for a super dinner last night...it was great to see everyone!
Au revoir!
Looks like it's going to be a great day for flying tomorrow. I do love the trip from Frankfurt...mountains all the way then into Nice's airport which is right on the Mediterranean and we can pretty much count on the weather being sunny and warm.
The first time we did this we arrived around Jan 25 and it was so warm we felt like looking for our shorts and go walking but instead decided to crack open a bottle of rosé wine from the mini bar and watch the sun go down from our balcony overlooking the Promenade des Anglais.
This is a picture I took the next morning from the balcony as the sun was rising...jet lag makes you want to get up real early....
From the Hotel Suisse brochure...Don and Elaine...I'm sure you're going to love it there...great location.
Thanks Annette and Larry for a super dinner last night...it was great to see everyone!
Au revoir!
Friday, February 11, 2005
Cherry blossom time
Testing out flickr again...
We will miss seeing these trees come out completely this year but the mimosas in the south of France will compensate...gorgeous yellow blossoms everywhere!
Low tech - high tech
I read an interesting article about lobster fishermen in Brazil. As is the case in most fishing industries the stocks have dwindled so it isn't economically viable for people to use large gas powered boats so they have gone back to their small sail boats that are economical to buy, maintain, and run. But they all also have a GPS sytem on board!
There are still fishermen who go out from our little village of Carqueiranne in these small, old, wooden boats that you see in the picture below.
The port of Carqueiranne.
In our first stay there in 2002 I saw a fisherman come in from our apartment and went down and bought some fish from him. I decided to paint them...my first painting in France and after I had taken Absolute Beginner Painting and wondered if I would actually paint anything. That got me started and I painted a total of 32 that year. This painting continues to mean a lot to me. BTW, we ate the fish afterward and they tasted fantastic.
There are still fishermen who go out from our little village of Carqueiranne in these small, old, wooden boats that you see in the picture below.
The port of Carqueiranne.
In our first stay there in 2002 I saw a fisherman come in from our apartment and went down and bought some fish from him. I decided to paint them...my first painting in France and after I had taken Absolute Beginner Painting and wondered if I would actually paint anything. That got me started and I painted a total of 32 that year. This painting continues to mean a lot to me. BTW, we ate the fish afterward and they tasted fantastic.
Thursday, February 03, 2005
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
Amazing nests
Isn't there an amazing number of nests in this tree...wonder what birds they are and if these nest are occupied in the Spring?
Friday, January 28, 2005
Mediterranean blues
Reading "The French Riviera: A Literary Guide for Travellers" by Ted Jones and loved this description of winter on the Mediterranean by Lady Margaret Brewster 150 years ago:
"The sea here is certainly at times bluer than the bluest of other seas, but it is not at its loveliest phase, on the contrary, the greatest charm of the Mediterranean seems to me to be the esquisite variety; there is the lilac, the stony grey, the bleu foncé, the pale blue flushed with rose, the milkiness, as if it were the milky way, the sheet of silver, - and that I think is the most beautiful, for the sky then is silvered blue also, and yet the sun so bright, and clear that you can scarcely believe the colour is not the usual sky blue."
Yes...and great for amateur painters who can't mix paint colours very well...almost any colour one chooses will end up being what the Mediterranean looks like some of the time!
"The sea here is certainly at times bluer than the bluest of other seas, but it is not at its loveliest phase, on the contrary, the greatest charm of the Mediterranean seems to me to be the esquisite variety; there is the lilac, the stony grey, the bleu foncé, the pale blue flushed with rose, the milkiness, as if it were the milky way, the sheet of silver, - and that I think is the most beautiful, for the sky then is silvered blue also, and yet the sun so bright, and clear that you can scarcely believe the colour is not the usual sky blue."
Yes...and great for amateur painters who can't mix paint colours very well...almost any colour one chooses will end up being what the Mediterranean looks like some of the time!
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Robbie Burn's Dinner
I think it's close to 20 years that we have been celebrating Robbie Burn's birthday with Don and Elaine. We began doing it at each other's houses (even went very unauthentic one year and went out for sushi!). Jim borrowed a kilt and read the address to the Haggis the first time. Since then Bill Thomas (we raised a glass to him last night) fitted him out in the whole regalia and this year Susan knit him some authentic kilt hose! For the last 10 years or so we've been going to the Union Club and really enjoying it. Some pictures from last night.
Jim and his new socks...thanks, Susan!
Every year they have something a little different for the decorations. This year they had these drawings matched with Burn's poems. Jim read them to us in his Scottish brogue.
Most of us can relate to this one!
Jim and me.
Elaine, Laborio, Stella, Jim
Jim, me, Don
Judge Gow bringing in the Haggis
Highland Dancers
The Sailor's Hornpipe...she was terrific!
Jim and his new socks...thanks, Susan!
Every year they have something a little different for the decorations. This year they had these drawings matched with Burn's poems. Jim read them to us in his Scottish brogue.
Most of us can relate to this one!
Jim and me.
Elaine, Laborio, Stella, Jim
Jim, me, Don
Judge Gow bringing in the Haggis
Highland Dancers
The Sailor's Hornpipe...she was terrific!
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